Obituary
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Life on the edge
Ofir Libstein had extraordinary dreams for his small patch
The mayor of Sha’ar HaNegev was killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7th, aged 50
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A foe who never was
Muhammad Amir Muhammad Khan fought India’s government for five decades
The still-dispossessed Rajah of Mahmudabad died on October 4th, aged 80
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Beauty been
The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people’s hearts
It was felled maliciously in the small hours of September 28th, aged around 300
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Life in its fullness
Fernando Botero became famous for his over-size people and animals
But the Colombian painter and sculptor, who died on September 15th, had a different agenda
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On a spear’s edge
Mangosuthu Buthelezi had his own vision for a democratic South Africa
The Zulu chief, a rival to Nelson Mandela, died on September 9th, aged 95
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Rules in the millions
Douglas Lenat trained computers to think the old-fashioned way
The mathematician who insisted that AI needed a basis of pure common sense died on August 31st, aged 72
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Building revolution
Isabel Crook devoted her long life to making a new China
The Canadian anthropologist and teacher died on August 20th, aged 107
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How to win a war
Andriy Pilshchykov pleaded for F-16s to be sent to Ukraine
The fighter pilot, known to many only as “Juice”, died on August 25th, aged 30
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Cleanliness, godliness
Bindeshwar Pathak realised that India’s future depended on toilets
The social reformer and revolutioniser of national sanitation died on August 15th, aged 80
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Safety first
Richard Simpson strove to balance buyers against manufacturers
America’s first consumer-product-safety tsar died on July 21st, aged 93
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The place where she was
Sinéad O’Connor hated the very idea of being a pop star
Ireland’s most provocative singer and protester died on July 26th, aged 56
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A wizard in the woods
SunRay Kelley wanted to build in rhythm with nature, his teacher
The “evolutionary” eco-architect and forest-dweller died on July 16th, aged 71